Discussion · bonfire.cafe

@ZekuZelalem@dair-community.social · 11 months ago

Learn about Dawit Isaak!

He is the longest detained journalist in the world today.

Dawit, an Eritrean born Swede, was editor of Eritrea's Setit independent newspaper. In Sept 2001, Eritrean dictator Isaias Afewerki detained Dawit alongside dozens of critical voices.

He was arrested two weeks after the 9/11 attacks.

Today, he was named winner of the prestigious Swedish human rights award, the Edelstam Prize.

I dream to see him free to pick up his award one day!
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp87yrwn644o

Journalist Dawit Isaak held in Eritrean jail for 23 years wins rights prize

Dawit Isaak has been held without trial in an Eritrean prison for 23 years.

Zecharias Zelalem

@ZekuZelalem@dair-community.social replied · 11 months ago

Eritrean journalist Abraham T. Zere recalls the day the Eritrean press died, and depicted it best in this 2017 op-ed for Al Jazeera.

Ever since this day, Eritrea has been referred to as the "North Korea of Africa."

Eritrea, where my mother hails from, is a sad story. It has been ruled by the same iron fisted rebel commander turned President for life since winning hard fought independence from Ethiopia in 1991.

Yearning for post freedom freedom ever since.

https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2017/9/18/remembering-the-day-the-eritrean-press-died

Zecharias Zelalem

@ZekuZelalem@dair-community.social replied · 11 months ago

Anyways, in Swedish media and human rights circles, the plight of Dawit Isaak is raised with regularity. Professional football club Örgryte FC regularly carry banners with messages amplifying his plight, and so do the team's fans.

The Swedish government however, has been accused of not doing enough to secure his release.

#FreeDawitIsaak
#JournalismIsNotaCrime

Players from Swedish professional football club Örgryte FC carry a banner calling for the release of Dawit Isaak from an Eritrean prison. The club would be fined for this "political message."

Demonstrators calling for the release of journalist Dawit Isaak, carry a banner with images of the journalist, Swedish and Eritrean flags, and a message: "free journalisten Dawit Isaak"

a 2015 rally in Stockholm calling for the release of journalist Dawit Isaak

Swedish football fans hanged a banner at a league game that has a drawing of Dawit Isaak and reads:

"Free Dawit Isaak, Imprisoned in Eritrea since 2001." — Swedish football fans hanged a banner at a league game that has a drawing of Dawit Isaak and reads: "Free Dawit Isaak, Imprisoned in Eritrea since 2001."

bonfire.cafe

A space for Bonfire maintainers and contributors to communicate

bonfire.cafe: About · Code of conduct · Privacy · Users · Instances

Bonfire social · 1.0.0-rc.3.21 no JS en

Automatic federation enabled